This project should help to improve the whole area for the benefit of people and wildlife alike
80mm of Kettering Loam over a sandy loam subsoil. Root depth averages 220mm with soil Ph of the square currently measuring 6.6 and the net areas 5.5 respectively. Height of cut on the square and nets is set at 8mm during the playing season and is raised to 12mm for the winter period.
Les applies a Rigby Taylor 6:0:12 NPK fertiliser on a six to eight week programme through the growing season with the aim of reducing top growth and to keep fungal disease attacks to the minimum. The only disease attack has been Red Thread which, this year especially, was been quite prolific due to the weather conditions.
Last year the square was sown with
a perennial rye mixture of four varieties - 40% Ace, 20 % Tucson, 20% Greenflash and 20% Greenway. The square gets mown at least two
or three times a week and is verticut once every three weeks to control any lateral growth. The club employ the services of a contractor to help carry out some of the work during the renovation period. End of season renovations begin as soon as the cricket fixtures are completed in mid to late September. The square and nets areas are watered, mown down, scarified in three directions and aerated to a depth of 150mm using a tractor mounted spiker fitted with pencil tines. Some hollow coring may be undertaken to treat any raised areas on the square. The renovated areas are oversown
in three directions applying between 35-45 grammes per square metre. About twelve tonnes of Kettering Loam (22% clay) is topdressed, drag matted and luted into the playing surfaces
During October another feed, 3:0:3- +FE, was applied to help it through the winter period. Once the cricket renovations have been completed, Les will concentrate his time on improving the outfield and maintaining the football pitch. Between the 15th September and
What’s in the shed?
Ransomes T Plex 185D triple mower Iseki TU320 diesel compact tractor Allett Tournament mowers with groomers Ransomes Auto Certes cylinder mower SISIS spiker
SISIS tractor mounted scarifier
Bomag roller
Sabo rotary mower
92
3rd October, the work carried out included:
Moving tennis nets, sightscreens and covers to winter storage, and scarifying and cutting all fine turf areas. When completed, the entire ground was hollow tined together with a few raised saddles on the square.
The entire ground was then
spiked, a sarrel roller was used on all fine turf areas and the tennis court base lines were micro tined. Once these tasks were completed, work began on the rough turf areas with scarifying and cutting. Whilst this was being carried out, a local
contractor vertidrained all the fine turf areas and applied seed and loam. Next, the vertidrain was put over all the rough turf areas which were then given a cut and a feeding of fertiliser. After roping off the fine turf areas and grass car park, Les turned his attention to the football pitch, marking out, putting up goal posts and the dug outs. Les and Peter are also currently undertaking a three-year project to improve the non-playing areas of the club. This involves regenerating the existing woodland area, improving established hedgerows, creating a new native hedgerow and planting wild flower meadows. Support for the scheme has come from BTCV, ECB Cricket Force 2008, Lytham St Annes Civic Society, Lancashire County Council Green Partnership Scheme, the RSPB, Michael Jack MP and local councillors Tim Ashton and Louis Rigby. “So far, I have received funding
from various bodies up to a total amount of £10,000” said Peter. “Major contributions have come from 02 Its Your Community, the National Tree Council & the SITA Trust.”
“Several schools have indicated their desire to be involved” said Peter. “The project complements certain Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme modules and gives participants the opportunity to experience practical conservation work first hand.” The project is being coordinated
by Kath Godfrey from the BTCV who already has volunteers working on the site each Tuesday and Wednesday from 10.30am to 3.30pm. “Like many such projects, initial work can often make things look worse before they get better” she explained. “Clearing invasive scrub and unwanted ground cover needs to take place before replanting can begin. This work is essential for the long term establishment of a thriving woodland and will assist our objective of increasing biodiversity on the site. This project should help improve the whole area for the benefit of people and wildlife alike. It is also our hope that it contributes in some small way towards making Lytham an even nicer place in which to live.”
Having seen the site for myself it is easy to see why Les enjoys the challenges of groundsmanship at Lytham Cricket & Sports Club. And, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Les on winning this year’s Cricket Groundman of the Year award.
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